The SOS Caring for Community at Christmas program has been spreading the joy of Christmas to local residents in need for over 50 years. With community support, we can ensure that children and youth in the area find a special gift under their tree on Christmas morning. Additionally, families and individuals will receive grocery store gift cards, allowing them to choose food that is meaningful to them during the holidays. You can support the program through a financial donation. Help us fill the SOS Toy Shop by donating a new, unwrapped gift. For more information or to register, please visit the SOS website.
Community News
Words to Live By
“This is a time of peace and great joy. Among the rush of worldly coming and going, choose to remain calm and peaceful in your heart.” – Keith Macpherson
Reducing Your Dementia Risk
Dementia prevention focuses on reducing risk factors that contribute to cognitive decline. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle plays a key role, including regular physical activity, a balanced diet (like the Mediterranean or DASH diet), and staying mentally active through learning and social engagement. Managing health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol is crucial, as they increase the risk of dementia. Avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption also helps. While there’s no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, research suggests that staying physically, mentally, and socially engaged may delay or reduce the likelihood of developing cognitive impairments.
Staying Social with Hearing Loss
For someone with hearing loss, social situations are challenging. Help improve communication with them by following these simple tips: • Gain their attention before you begin talking. • Speak naturally and don’t shout. Speak distinctly, at a normal rate, using pauses to give the person time to process speech. • Keep your hands away from your face while talking. • Avoid sudden changes of topic. And if the subject changes, tell them what you are talking about now. • Seat them where they can see as many faces as possible. • Check in. If your listener is not following, convey the information again in shorter, clearer sentences.
Tips to Stay Healthy
With the change in weather comes the potential for colds, flu, and COVID! Everyone is encouraged to get their flu and COVID booster shots. Remember to sanitize regularly out in the community, especially if you are in the grocery store (the handles of the carts) and when you get back into the car. Comfort Keepers can help by doing your shopping for you, or if you get sick, we can help by just giving the care needed as you convalesce. Contact us today to set up a meeting and get a regular schedule in place for times like this. Let’s stay well this winter.
Fall Prevention Month
It’s fall prevention month, and that’s an extremely important one for us at Nanaimo Lifeline. 20%–30% of hospitalizations from injuries among older Canadians each year are attributed to falling. Not only that but falling is the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged 0-14 months each year as well! To prevent falls, it’s important to engage in balance and strength-training exercises, avoid alcohol and substance abuse, and find out about any side effects of medications that may cause cognitive or balance impairments. And as always, eating a healthy diet contributes to strong bones and muscles. Stay safe!
TBD
Fall is here, and we are blessed with all the amazing colours as the trees store food for the winter. It is a great time to have your dentures evaluated as well. New as of November 1 for the government dental program is coverage for partial dentures and softliners. These services need to be preapproved, so they require a little planning. There is no word yet on the dollar value, but keep in touch and read these articles regularly. As of January 2025, ALL Canadians are eligible for coverage; look into it! Contact us for more information.
It Is Important to Remember
In Canada, Remembrance Day is November 11. We hold space for those who went to war and those who didn’t return. Everyone is affected by war and can be affected for many generations. If you had family members who went to war, you may have many different emotions and memories. You may have also inherited these emotions from your family members. The Body Code healing modality assists in releasing these inherited trapped emotions, helping you understand them. A Certified Body/Emotion Code Practitioner can help you release unprocessed negative (trapped) emotions and assist you in creating healthy memories. Contact Permelia today for an appointment.
Moving to a New Home?
Here are some tips to make the move as easy as possible. *Create personalized floor plans so you can envision how and where your possessions fit in your new space. *Start the decision process as early as possible as to which belongings are going to make the move with you and which ones to repurpose to a charity or consignment service. *Don’t do everything alone; enlist help from a family member, loved one, or a professional moving company. Genie Senior Services can help you with every step of your move, including downsizing, decluttering, moving, transporting, and setting up your new home.
Relaxation and Self-Care
Client Testimonial: “Raindrop and endocrine treatments are a regular part of my self-care practice. They are a little break out of the busyness of life where I simply slow down and relax into my body. I feel the release and flow of stuck energy and always leave feeling more clarity and grounded. I’m beyond grateful for Jennifer’s knowledge and expertise in essential oils, her healing touch, and her loving care.” A Raindrop Technique Massage combines massage, distinctive energy approaches, intuitive wisdom, and pure essential oils. An endocrine massage is a relaxing soft touch massage using Young Living essential oils and crystals.
Eat for the Season
Welcome to Autumn, a season of transition and reflection in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This time of year corresponds to the Lung and Large Intestine, calling for nourishment through warming, digestible foods that support immunity. Soups are ideal, stoking digestion with ginger, garlic, onions, and seasonal vegetables such as squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes. These foods warm the body and support lung health. Adding warming spices like cinnamon enhances digestion and fortifies the body. Pairing this with digestion-supporting acupuncture creates a holistic approach to staying balanced and healthy during the seasonal change.
